


All Rules Broken

by Atrix333



Category: Heart no Kuni no Alice | Alice in the Country of Hearts, ジョーカーの国のアリス | Joker no Kuni no Alice | Alice in the Country of Joker
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-07 09:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7709206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atrix333/pseuds/Atrix333
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two girls, Atrix and Kaita, are whisked away- well, blown away, into the Country of Joker. Please note: I am not good at summaries, and me and my friend are both writing this. Plue, we have made it where the Jokers are twins instead of different personalities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet the Jokers

Hey, did you know?  
Every game has its rules.  
And those rules are cemented from the very beginning.  
But all rules are meant to be broken.

The sun was close to vanishing, as dusk became evening. Atrix and Kaita were walking through the park, enjoying the last of the warmth of the sun. It had been a big day for both of them, having been given the chance to be part of an international event. They hadn't dared turn away such an offer. It was hard to be given the chance in this day and age; the year 2013.

Both the girls shivered as the wind started to pick up, becoming a little stronger. However, it didn't stop them from having the short walk.

"I can't believe we-," Atrix started to say, only to be cut off as a strong gust of wind knocked the sideways. Kaita looked at Atrix with the same expression she had. They looked dumbfounded and scared. They fell down a hole- a hole that was their before. Why was there a large hole in the middle of the park? There was no time to think of an answer to that question.

As Atrix and Kaita fell deeper and deeper into the hole. They had begun to slowly lose consciousness. By the time they reached the bottom, after having landed in a cemented, circular area with pillars, they were completely unconscious.

Unknown to them, two clown like fellows were already there, as if they knew they were coming. The Jokers looked at each other and each popped open a vial. Inside the vial was a medicine to keep the two girls from leaving-to keep them in this odd world of theirs.

\-------------------------------------------------------

Atrix's POV:

Atrix finally stirred. She opened her eyes slightly to peek around, hoping to find herself in the park, or even at home. Surprise took her when she found her surroundings to look like... A tent? It was hard for her to tell. She licked her lips, a strange after taste in her mouth. She must have accidentally swallowed dirt.

The young girl pulled herself into a sitting position. She looked around in search of Kaita. Atrix knew her friend was also here, she SAW her fall along with her; but she must have been taken to another room because she didn't see her.

Atrix heard rustling as someone came into the tent. She quickly laid back down and shut her eyes. She heard the falling of footsteps heading her way. After a few more footsteps, she could feel the person's presence right next to her. Atrix's heart was pounding in her chest. What was she going to do if this person was going to harm her?

"Ah, you're awake," the stranger spoke softly, "there's no reason for you to pretend otherwise."

Atrix opened her eyes slowly until she was staring straight at a man's face. She saw a man in clown clothing-and an odd hat- bending down over her. Her face heated from the nearness of him. The man chuckled before he bowed in a polite manner. "I am Joker," he smiled, "and you are in the Country of Joker."

"This is not your world," Joker answered Atrix's unsaid question. She assumed the male had read her expression and saw the question. She glanced around but Joker gently cupped her chin and made her look at him again. "There's no need for you to be frightened. Circuses are meant to have fun, right?," he murmured gently.

"A circus?" Atrix questioned. Joker smiled and nodded. Well, that explained why she was in a tent. She had to stop herself from looking around again. What was she suppose to do now?

"Do you not like circuses?" Joker asked with somewhat of a sad expression. Atrix's hand came up in defense. "Its not that! I just don't know how to come about this.. I mean, I fell down some hole and woke up here," she said quietly. Joker grabbed her hand. "How about a tour of it? That way you'll know you're in a safe place," he suggested. The male had such a happy expression that Atrix just couldn't refuse.

Joker held her hand as he led her out of the tent. This action caused Atrix to feel a bit childish, yet... She didn't want to pull her hand away from such warmth. She let him lead her around the place.

"These smaller tents are where the staff sleep," Joker explained as they walked past them, "my tent is closer to the main tent." He continued to explain what each tent is for. "Ah, here is the main tent, where all the fun happens!" Joker exclaimed with a smile as he pulled her inside.

Atrix found the tent to be very spacious, mostly because it was empty. Joker continued to lead her; he stopped when they reached the very middle of the ring. "Every show time... This tent is filled. Just to see my show," He said. Atrix didn't know if he was talking to her or himself this time.

After Joker led her around the ring, they discovered it was nearly time for dinner to be served. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize how much time had passed," he apologized as he led her to a tent which served food. Despite Atrix protesting, Joker made each of them a plate. He looped his arm around her's-since his hands are full- and leading the way to his own personal tent.

Once inside, he settled Atrix into a chair and sat opposite of her. "What do you think of my circus?" Joker asked cheerfully. "It looks fun," Atrix answered softly. "Would you like to watch it, or would you prefer of being apart of it?" He asked, his eyes focused on her. Atrix looked at him with an uncertain expression.

The male took her expression in a different way. "Do you not want to do either of them?" He asked, his smile vanishing. "Ah, its not that, but the thought of me being apart of a circus is just...," Atrix trailed off and then continued with, "strange to think about. I wouldn't mind watching it, though." Joker's smile returned, "Then, I'll be sure you get a front row seat."

The two continued to talk as they finished their dinner. Once when they were finished, Joker told her that she'll be sleeping in his tent-of course he promised that he wouldn't harm her-he just wanted to make sure nothing does come and harm her.

As Atrix laid herself down on a small, but cozy cot, she remembered about her missing friend. She hadn't seen her friend throughout the tour. "Joker... Do you know where my friend, Kaita is? She fell down the hole with me... And I.. Can't... Find her..," Atrix trailed off as she fell asleep.

Joker looked at her sadly. He decided to pay a little visit to his brother. You know, to make sure he wasn't tormenting the other girl. Upon his arrival of his brother's so called 'Jail', he stopped just before the other Joker could see him. He wasn't surprised at what he found; his brother was tormenting Kaita. There wasn't anything he could do about it, but make sure Atrix won't get involved with his evil twin. However... How was he supposed to keep this from his newfound friend? He liked being around her, and he didn't want to lose her. At least not yet.

Joker returned to his tent and looked over at the sleeping Atrix. He gently stroked her cheek, brushing aside some hair in the process. No, he didn't want to lose her at all. He wanted to keep her by his side. This is what the spell of an outsider can do.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaita's POV:

Kaita woke up and looked at her surroundings not recognizing anything. "My, that took you long enough." Kaita looked in the direction of the voice, a man dressed in black warden quality clothes. "Where am I?"

"Well of course you're in a prison and I'm the one who runs it."  
"I can see it's a prison but where is it located?" The man sighed and put his whip under Kaita's chin lifting her face up to his. "Why, you are in Wonderland my dear."

The man smiled then backed away into the shadows. Kaita was a bit stunned not knowing how to process what the man had said. "Well I'm off, but we will meet again. For now you better watch your back in the Country of Joker." Kaita stood up and grabbed at the man's arm. "No, I want answers and now!"

The man looked down at Kaita's hand pulled away roughly, making her fall back. He then walked towards Kaita. He made her back against the wall, cornering her with no escape. "No one's ever yelled at me before and gotten away with it. Looks like you're going to have to be punished."

Kaita tried to push the man away but he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. He loomed closer to Kaita's face and whispered into her ear. "That won't get rid of me, little girl." Kaita felt her face flush. She tried to get away, but the man had her pinned tightly to the wall.

"L...let go of me, you creep!" Kaita tried to knee the man between the legs, but he evaded her kick and let her go. "Oh feisty, aren't you?" The man crossed his arms and looked at the girl before him; he shook his head in dismay and sat down. "Outsiders are so interesting. I can't help but have fun with you."

Kaita shot the man an irritated look. "Just who are you?" A grin showed on the man's face. "My name is Joker. Moreover, I run this place, the place where all bad people end up. Why don't you have a seat, I'm not such a bad person." Kaita couldn't bring herself to completely trust Joker, but she did as she was told.

Joker reached over the small table between the two and put his hand on Kaita's cheek. He took a clump of hair in his hand and caressed it, Kaita tensed up. Kaita thought to herself, OMG this cannot be happening, my heart is going to explode.

Kaita pulled away. Joker let out a loud laugh at the girl's reaction. "I have a question, where is my friend Atrix?" Joker raised an eyebrow; he had thought she would ask him about the taste in her mouth. Kaita got up and walked away from Joker but he came after her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Anywhere but here, I have to find my friend." Kaita kept walking but Joker pulled her back towards him. "Who told you that you could leave me? Well I guess we could go somewhere else to help you start looking." Joker pulled Kaita by the arm and took her through a doorway. Kaita blinked as a bright light flashed, she looked around and saw a forest.

Joker let go a Kaita's arm and started to walk away leaving her behind. "Joker, where are we? Joker?" Kaita looked around but Joker was gone, she saw the top of what appeared to be a mansion. Kaita started to feel tired; she spotted a shady area under a tree and sat down. She started to fall asleep.

Next thing Kaita knew she heard to sound of a gun being set to fire. Her eyes shot open only to find herself staring down the barrel of a gun. "What do we have here? Someone thinking they can sleep on the Hatter territory." Kaita looked behind the gun to see a man with rabbit ears. "Please don't shoot." Kaita heard footsteps approaching and she saw a man in a white and a black hat.

"Elliot, you're scaring the young lady, plus don't point a gun at her." The man with rabbit ears pouted but did as he was told. "I'm sorry, Miss, he was just following orders to keep others from trespassing." Kaita nodded her head and got up. Elliot reached out a hand to help Kaita up; she took Elliot's hand hesitantly. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright. I was just looking for my friend, but I got separated from Joker, who was helping me look for her." Both males were surprised. "That's a bit unlike him. Hmm. I guess we could go to the circus and have a chat with him." Elliot's ears perked up. "I'll go with you. I'll show the way." The other man smiled. "Then let's all go then." The three of them walked towards the circus. Kaita saw the main big circus tent. Elliot eyed Kaita wondering why she was with Joker. The three walked into the tent and looked around for Joker.


	2. Circus

Atrix's POV:

The following morning, Atrix woke up to Joker gently waking her. She opened her eyes, for the second time, to find Joker leaning over her. She blinked a few times to clear her blurry vision. Joker smiled at the sleepy girl.

"I'm sorry to have to wake you, but our show is about to start," Joker told Atrix, his eyes soft. Atrix got herself out of bed and straightened out her clothes. She wished she had something nicer to wear, or at least some clean clothes to change into. Joker was kind enough to lend her a brush which she gratefully used.

Joker led her to one of the front row seats closet to the ring. When he was sure she was comfortable, he left to resume preparations for the circus to start. Within the next few minutes, people started to pour into the large tent. Atrix couldn't help but eye everyone who came in. She hoped to see Kaita appear, but to her dismay she didn't. Unknown to Atrix was that Kaita was indeed going to be here, but not until the last minute before the show starts.

Atrix watched as Joker walked into the middle of ring. The lights in the tent dimmed to show a single light shining down on the ring leader.

"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together for this fascinating show~!" Joker said as he bowed before everyone. He continued to speak about things relating to the circus or anyone of the staff. When he was finished, he introduced a group of performers. He repeated the same ritual for each group performance.

Once when the last performance was done, Joker returned to the center to conclude the show. Atrix and everyone else clapped when he bowed. Afterwards, everyone cleared the tent and went to some stalls before going home. Atrix had exited the large tent as well, just to make sure she didn't get in the way of anyone. She decided to just wait for Joker there, just to be on the safe side.

Atrix had her eyes focused on the tent entrance that she wasn't even aware of Kaita calling her name. It wasn't until her friend stepped into her line of sight before she snapped out of the focus. She gasped with relief and hugged her. "Kaita! Where have you been?!" One glanced over Kaita's shoulder and she saw the small group of men that had accompanied her. The expression on her face asked 'Who are they?'

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaita's POV:

Kaita hugged her friend as tight as she could. "It's so good to see you, I thought you were lost for good." Kaita backed up and held out a hand to both the men behind her. "This is Elliot and this here is Blood." Kaita then whispered to Atrix, "I almost was killed by Elliot, but Blood saved me."

Kaita then let out a sigh, "I'm just glad that you're alright. You cannot believe who I was with, this guy Joker, he was terrible. I really wanted to punch him." Kaita curled her hand tightly and jabbed at the air. Kaita looked back at Elliot and Blood, "Thank you for helping me get here and finding my friend."

Blood took off his hat and bowed to Kaita. "Your quite welcome, young lady, but your friend is the one that spotted you. I must have a chat with Joker. He must have an idea in how you two were brought here." Blood looked a bit irritated but then Elliot interjected in front of Kaita's line of sight.

"I'm sorry about before too, I didn't mean to point my gun at you." Kaita waved her hands in front of her, "No it's alright."

Kaita was becoming distracted by Elliot's ears, she wanted to reach out and grab them. Her hands were moving towards Elliot's ears but Elliot noticed and became flustered. "What are you doing?!" Elliot moved back and blushed a bit. "Sorry about that." Kaita hid her hands behind her back, Blood let out a light laughter.

Kaita blushed then looked back at Atrix.

"Now enough about me, what have you been doing this whole time? I hope you haven't gotten yourself into any trouble, right?" Kaita nudged Atrix's arm wanting to know who she had met since getting to this odd world.

Atrix stared at her friend. "Joker... Isn't terrible..," she said, thinking of the Joker she had met. "Joker was the one who helped me." Atrix was still looking at her friend. She honestly couldn't imagine the man to be mean to someone. Then again... She doesn't know much about Joker, except that he was the ringmaster of this circus.

Kaita shook her head. "No, he's mean. Trust me," she said. Atrix still didn't believe her. This worried her a little. She didn't want her friend to fall for someone who was going to mistreat her. Definitely not someone like Joker. The memory of the warden caused a shiver to pass through her body.

Elliot took that moment to intervene in the girls' conversation. "Oh! Blood wanted us to return to the mansion," he said cheerfully. Kaita readily agreed to it. Atrix, however, didn't look so thrilled at the thought. Her eyes were focused upon the entrance to the tent. Obviously, she wanted Joker to step out and give her an excuse to stay; but to her misfortune (or maybe to her fortune), she didn't get a chance for that to occur. Kaita had grabbed a hold of Atrix's arm, and she was pulling her friend along with them as they left and set towards the Hatter's Mansion.

It took about half an hour for them to reach the gate entrance. Elliot let out an irritated sigh. "Where did those brats run off to this time?" The march hare muttered in annoyance, "They are definitely having their pay docked again." Kaita merely chuckled at what he said. Atrix didn't find it amusing at all. Her mind was still focused on the jester, after all.

As Elliot led the way into the mansion, he left the two girls on their own for awhile. Atrix was studying her friend, who sat down on a chair. She glanced away as Kaita looked in her direction.

"Why are you against Joker being mean?" Kaita asked after a moment of silence. Of all questions, Atrix didn't want to answer this one. She was tired from walking and being pulled around. "He helped me," She answered anyway.

"Helped you?" Kaita sounded as if she didn't believe it, though that's exactly how it was thought. Kaita didn't believe her and that stung. Atrix crossed her arms. "Yes. He showed me around the circus and I slept in his tent," She sighed.

"You slept in Joker's tent?! What would you have done if he imprisoned you and tortured you?!" Kaita asked in a rush. Atrix nodded to the question, the first question to be exact.

"Imprisoned? That's absurd!" Atrix gave her a look. "Then, why was I inside a prison cell with Joker trying to beat me down?" Kaita asked in almost a hushed tone. "I don't know... I was treated kindly by him," Atrix responded. Of course, unknown to these two was that there are two Jokers.

Another silence washed through the room as the two friends silently soaked in their own thoughts. They were still thinking as Blood walked through the door. He immediately spotted them. "Oh? What's this? Isn't this your friend?" He asked with a slight incline of his head. Kaita nodded her response.

"Its wonderful to have you in my home, Miss," Blood bowed slightly as he took off his hat and placed it over his chest. He returned the hat to its rightful place once when he stood up straight. Atrix gave him a curt nod to acknowledge his hostility.

The man smiled and went even closer to them. "I already gave Kaita a tour of my mansion, but would you care for one...?" He asked. He extended his hand out towards her. Atrix looked at Blood's hand before she reluctantly decided to take it. His smiled widened by this.

The tour didn't take long to finish in the least. Kaita had retired to her room afterwards, leaving Blood to guide Atrix to the room she will be staying in. "Ah, here we are," the man said as he stopped and gently opened the door to allow her to enter the room. It was fairly large to be a normal guest room, then again this world wasn't completely normal in the first place.

Atrix entered the room as Blood murmured, "Good Night, Miss Atrix. Sleep well." With that, everyone within the household, minus some of the servants, went to bed. Now, let's see what the following day, or days, brings to us, shall we?


	3. Prison

Atrix's POV:

A week had passed since Atrix had taken up residence in the Hatter's Mansion. Blood had been a gentleman to her, having taken care of her needs. Yet... She didn't want to be here. She still wanted to return to Joker's side, and Blood could see it written on her face. In a way, it was embarrassing.

Blood always greeted her kindly and formally. Atrix hadn't thought anything of it, though. She simply thought it was out of kindness and not something more. Of course, that wasn't the case. Blood had begun to feel fond of the girl. It may be odd for a mafia boss to feel this way, but it was true.

Atrix was entering her bedroom as Blood placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl stopped and turned around. The man extended his hand out towards her. "Would you care to accompany me somewhere?" He asked with a smile. Atrix hesitated in answering and instead asked her own question, "Where to?" Blood smiled as he answered with, "It's a secret."

Atrix debated on this, but in the end she decided to go. Blood led her through part of the woods near his home. Before long, they were surrounded by an endless supply of roses.

Atrix looked around in wonder. Blood had a smile, which turned into a smirk as he gazed at the girl. "Is it to your liking? I attend to all these roses by myself," he murmured. Atrix nodded slightly as an answer.

Blood watched the girl as she looked around at the rose, admiring their beauty. There was another reason why he brought her to this place, not just to look at the rose. It was time to make his move.

As Atrix studied a rose that caught her attention, Blood grabbed one of her arms and pushed her against a nearby tree, startling the girl.

Atrix's eyes widened as Blood's face came closer towards her's. Not a moment later, the male pressed his lips gently against her's. It was gentle at first, anyways. Within the next second, the kiss became rougher, as if Blood was hungry for it. The man, himself, hadn't expected to do such a thing, but something about this girl has captured his attention.

The kiss from Blood had completely shocked her. It wasn't a kiss she wanted. As Blood leaned forward to kiss Atrix again after he had gotten his breath back from the first kiss, Atrix pushed him away. An annoyed look crossed Blood's face, but it changed when he saw the girl running away. He looked... Disappointed.

As Atrix ran, she was oblivious that Kaita had seen her leave the Hatter's territory. She ran right pass the gates, a couple shouts coming from the Bloody Twins as she passed them, a look of dismay on their faces.

After about ten minutes of continuous running, Atrix finally stopped running. She was gasping strongly for the fresh oxygen, not at all used to running for so long. She had to sit down for a good half hour before she was able to stand. Of course, she would have been better off if she had or was nearby any water.

She took to walking forward, not at all planning on going back to the Hatter's mansion. At least any time soon. Instead, she was going through the forest blindly. She hoped that she'll find the circus this way. She wanted to see Joker.

The time periods must have changed at least five times before Atrix finally caught sight of the entrance to the circus. She actually felt a huge wave of relief at seeing the tents. She even started to pick up pace, just so she could get there faster. However, once when she took that first step through the entrance, she found that the surroundings changed from a circus to a prison. Atrix glanced around the cells nervously. "Wha...t? Where am I?" Atrix asked aloud, somewhat hoping to receive an answer.

"My prison," was what the answer said. It startled her. The voice was from a male, however it sounded like Joker, but dark. "W-who's there?" The girl asked. A chuckle was what was returned. A man stepped out of the shadows, making his appearance known. Atrix became shocked when she saw Joker-or someone who looked like Joker-showed himself. Yet, instead of the circus clothes, it was replaced by warden clothes.

Suddenly, Atrix remembered Kaita telling her about her experience with Joker-a different Joker. She now started to feel a little afraid. Her friend had warned her, yet look where she was now.

The prison Joker moved swiftly closer to her, backing her up against cell bars as she tried to get far away from him. He smirked at this. "What a stupid thing for you to do, getting yourself cornered like that," He chuckled darkly. He was aware that this girl was saved by the Circus Joker, his brother. It made this even more fun for him.

He used his small whip to guide Atrix's head from side to side, and upwards as well. "Hm... I won't do anything... Yet," he decided. With a snap of his finger, the cell bars disappeared, causing Atrix to fall backwards onto her back, and reappeared shortly after. "Make yourself at home," Joker said before he walked away, his boots tapping on the concrete floor, fading as he walked further away.

Atrix immediately tried to see if there was any way out of the cell. There wasn't. With a whimper, she laid on the ground in one of the back corners.

So, there really is another Joker. The one who saved her and the one who had tortured her friend. She was certain that this warden Joker will torture her as well. The thought scared her. All she can do now is wait.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Kaita's POV:

Kaita was usjt walking around the front of the Hatter's mansion when she saw Atrix run away. "Atrix, where are you going?" Kaita tried to run after her but Elliot stopped her. "Elliot let go of me, I have to stop her. What if she tries to go back to Joker?" Elliot let out a sigh but his grip on Kaita's arm didn't loosen. "Don't worry, I know Blood will go after her, but it's not safe if you go after her. Didn't you say that Joker hurt you?" Elliot's gaze on Kaita softened, for some reason he had started to feel the need to protect Kaita from Joker and everyone else in the world.

Kaita let out a defeated sigh as Elliot brought her back inside the mansion. Elliot had left her in the dining room as he prepared a snack for the both of them to eat so Kaita didn't have to worry about her friend. "Here you go, my favorite snack, carrot tart cake." Kaita looked at the cake and smiled weakly. "Thanks Elliot. It looks really good." Kaita dug her fork into the cake and took a bite, instantly a look of wondrous surprise spread across her face.

"Elliot this cake taste amazing." Elliot could feel his face heat up as he looked at Kaita's big eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh it's nothing special, just a bit of sweets that's all." Kaita nodded her head and continued to eat, a smile spread across Elliot's face as he watched Kaita eat her piece of cake.

After a few time changes Elliot had invited Kaita to the Amusement Park to cheer her up a bit more, unfortunately the twins wanted to tag along too. "This place is the best Miss Kaita." Tweedle Dee and Dum were pulling on Kaita's arms so that she would follow them and not Elliot. Kaita looked back a few times at Elliot to see his reactions. The twins looked at Elliot and saw that he was becoming agitated by having the twins there, so they smiled at each other and then hugged Kaita.

"Hey Miss Kaita when we get back to the Mansion why don't you come to our room." "Yeah we can have a lot of fun. We could do…." A fist came down hard on the twins head. Kaita looked back to see Elliot pulling the twins off her. "What do you think you two are doing to Kaita?" A grin is all the twins gave Elliot, and then they ran away.

"Man, those two never give up on teasing me." Kaita peered up at Elliot's face that was a light flush of pink, making smile happily. While Kaita was having fun with the rides Elliot sat a bench trying to figure out what he was feeling for Kaita. "Jeez…. What is wrong with me?" Kaita had walked up to Elliot once he finished talking. "Is everything alright Elliot?" Kaita sat next to Elliot, which made Elliot jump since it was obvious that Kaita had heard him talking to himself.

"N…no everything is fine." Elliot became very flustered as Kaita moved closer to Elliot and peered into his eyes. The next thing Elliot knew Kaita's hand was pressed against his forehead. "Well it doesn't seem that you have a fever, maybe you're just tired from being out with me the whole time. Let's go back to the Mansion." Elliot nodded in compliance.

Once back at the Mansion Elliot went to talk to Blood about Atrix running off. Kaita returned to her room and plopped onto her bed then stared up at the ceiling. "Where are you Atrix?" Kaita closed her eyes and had fallen asleep but a knock at the door woke her up. She opened the door to see Elliot. "Elliot, what did Blood say?" Elliot looked at Kaita a bit upset. "Well…. Blood was talking with Atrix…. And something he did made her upset. Then she just ran." Kaita looked Elliot squarely in the eyes. "What did he do?" Elliot shifted uncomfortably. "Blood didn't tell me."

Kaita let out a sigh and retreated back into her room and Elliot followed her inside and closed the door. "Elliot I'm going to look for her in the forest, she must be scared. Plus I just hope that she didn't go back to the circus to go looking for Joker." Elliot suddenly felt the urge to hold Kaita but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Kaita looked at Elliot and tears started to fill her eyes. "Elliot… I'm scared…. What if something happens to Atrix…?"

Elliot's body had moved on its own and he gently embraced Kaita. Kaita was a bit surprised but she felt Elliot's warmth and her crying had ceased. She looked up at Elliot who was staring right back at her. Elliot started to lean down onto Kaita but stop himself short of her lips. What am I doing…? If I kiss her….what if she runs off like Atrix….Argh…. why do I feel like this…. Instead Elliot embraced Kaita tighter to reassure her that nothing will happen to Atrix. Kaita started to relax as she quietly fell asleep in Elliot's arms.

Seeing as how Kaita had fallen asleep Elliot gently laid her on her bed and put the covers over her. Elliot whispered into Kaita's ear, "Don't worry, Atrix will be safe. I promise." As if he needed to, Elliot gave Kaita a kiss on the cheek before he left to his on room.


	4. Waiting in the Arms of Hope

Atrix's POV:

Atrix didn't know how many hours had passed since the Prison Joker had left her in the jail cell. She wasn't even sure if she had even slept. There was no way to tell time.

If only she had listened to what her friend had said, she wouldn't have been in this mess; but she was, so she might as well figure out a way to leave. She had already checked for weak spots in the cell, but had found nothing. Therefore, it was time for a new plan.

The conversation between her and Joker replayed in her head. 'I'll have to try to escape when he returns...,' Atrix thought to herself. The problem now is knowing when the warden would return.

By the time the warden Joker had returned, Atrix had fallen asleep on the hard, cold ground. This amused him. He kicked Atrix gently, but not gently enough, on the ribs. The pain that shot through her body caused her to yelp out in pain.

"Did you sleep well, Outsider?" Black Joker asked, a smirk still on his face as Atrix glared up at him. He was hoping for a retort, but instead he received silence. "Hmph," Black Joker narrowed his eyes a bit. He roughly set a plate of food and a glass of water down in front of her. "Eat. You will need the strength," the man said before leaving the room to get something he will need.

Atrix couldn't help but stare at the unappetizing food. She was hungry, but she wasn't too eager to eat food that was given to her by someone who ran a prison. It could be poisoned, after all. Instead she leaned her back against the cell bars.

She remained like that until she felt a light pressure on her right left shoulder. Not too long after, a hand covered her mouth as if to stop her in case she were to scream. "Atrix... I'm sorry that my twin brother is treating you like this," came a gentle voice from behind. Atrix's eyes widened as she recognized who the voice belonged to. She placed a hand over his and squeezed gently. It was a sign of relief.

The Circus Joker removed his hand over the imprisoned girl's mouth and gave her shoulder a squeezed in return. He dropped his hands to his sides as Atrix turned around to look at him.

Atrix had to stop herself from shouting out Joker's name. Instead, she let her eyes reveal how she felt; relieved. "Joker...?" She looked up at him with her blue-green eyes.

"Atrix, I will get you out, but I am asking that you hold on for a while more," the White Joker instructed. He had a serious expression as he spoke, an expression she hadn't seen when she first met him. Then again, she only stayed with him for a night, so how could she had seen it? Returning her thoughts back to its rightful tracks, Atrix nodded her response.

Joker smiled gently before he excused himself. As he was leaving, Atrix wondered how long she's have to stay within the jail cell until she'd be rescued. It warmed her heart to know that she'd get to return to Joker's side instead of Blood's.

Blood may have shown her kindness and let her stay in his home, but it was the White Joker who had caught her eye. He provided the right warmth for her.

Atrix shook herself out of her thoughts and stood up to give her cramped legs time to stretch. She begun to pace around the cell. There was no way to tell time since there are no windows to provide a glimpse of the outside. This bothered her.

Not knowing the time made her feel like she's at a disadvantage. It made her feel even more so restless. Atrix placed a hand on the cold metal bars, gripping it tightly. She already knew that this wasn't going to work, but it kept her mind occupied to pass the time.

The prison was quiet except for the sound of dripping water coming from somewhere. She didn't even hear footsteps approaching her.

"You're still awake, Outsider?" Came the voice she didn't want to hear. Even though White and Black were twins, their voices differ in many ways. White Joker's voice have a gentleness to it, while Black Joker's voice has a hardness to it. Atrix glared up at the warden. She was greeted by a smirk.

"Joker, stop tormenting her," came The White Joker's voice from somewhere in the darkness behind the warden Joker.

"Oh? Why should I do that, Joker?" Black asked as he glanced over his shoulder.

"She hasn't done anything wrong to end up here," The circus Joker answered as he stepped out of the shadows and into what little light was provided by the torches that ran along the walls.

"What makes you believe that?" Black asked his twin with a disapproving frown. He obviously thought otherwise.

"Atrix was under my care when she came to this world," White started, "how could she have something wrong when I've been watching over her? Not to mention, Blood had taken care of her for a while. He doesn't tolerate bad people. He would have killed her." The ringleader looked first at Atrix and then at the warden. What he said was true.

Black Joker became quiet as he thought of what it was he should say. He was well aware of what White said was true, he didn't have a good reason to keep the girl locked up. He could always come up with one, though. However, he knew his twin would be able to see through the idea.

As Black was deep in thought, White went over to Atrix's cell. He held the keys in his hand as he approached. The sight made her face reflect the delight she was feeling. She watched as the key was placed inside the padlock and was turned. The lock clicked as it opened, the sound making her feel relieved. The click of freedom.

Once when White flung the iron bars opened, he quickly entered the cell. He bent down as he picked Atrix up, being careful as to not harm her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his neck.

Black cursed loudly as White left the prison with his prisoner. He wondered how his brother pulled this off so easily. How did he distract him? That was a question he was going to ponder over for a while.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Kaita's POV:

A few time changes had occurred since Atrix ran away, leaving Kaita worrying even more where her friend was. Kaita would pass the time by walking around the mansion grounds, near the gate hoping that her friend would be running back at any moment. She let out a sigh.

The Twins were nearby when they heard Kaita's sigh so they decided to see what was wrong with her. "Hey Kaita, what's wrong? Is Elliot giving you a hard time or something?" Kaita shook her head and walked away. The twins were left wondering if Elliot had done something.

The two went and found Elliot, deciding to ask him what was wrong with Kaita. "Hey, dumb rabbit, what's wrong with Kaita. She's been sighing a lot since that other outsider left." Elliot obviously was at a loss as well but he couldn't admit it was partially his fault that Kaita was a bit depressed. "It's nothing, you should leave Kaita be. Let her collect her thoughts. Ever since Atrix left, some things been have been bothering her."

The twins looked at each other then back at Elliot. They had smirks on their faces. "So you're saying that you tried something on big sister Kaita and she got mad and shot you down." The Twins pressed Elliot for an answer, this made Elliot become a bit flustered and very annoyed at the troublesome boys. Elliot couldn't contain his anger in any more. "Nothing happened between me and Kaita!" Elliot hit both boys on the head then walked away back into the mansion. The Twins were left there holding their heads in pain.

Kaita thought that it would be best if she could help with some of the chores in the mansion to preoccupy her thoughts on Atrix. The faceless maids said that she should leave the work to them and not worry about a thing. Kaita once again let out a sigh and headed back outside, her feet made her start walking towards the forest.

Elliot saw Kaita from the second floor, "Dang it, she's going into the forest." Elliot ran at full speed to catch up to Kaita.

Kaita stopped for a moment to see where she was and how far she had come from the Hatter Mansion. She couldn't see the mansion nor could she recognize where she was. "Now how am I going to get back?" Kaita dropped to her knees and sat on the ground. A rustling sound in a nearby bush made Kaita turn around. The only thought that came to Kaita was that it could be the Joker from the prison coming to torment her more. To her relief it was not Joker but a knight clad in red. "What do we have here?" The knight approached Kaita and looked her over. "Hmm, looks like an outsider. What's your name?"

Kaita was a bit taken aback. She didn't know if she should trust him or not. The knight then pulled out his sword, "C'mon, tell me. If not, I want to see what happens if I slice you with my sword." Kaita then started to back away from the knight, shaking in fear. She had already almost met death once when she first met Elliot, and she did not want to meet it again with this strange knight. "My…..name ….is Kaita. I was just walking around and became lost. I'm trying to find my friend but I think I better head back to the Hatter Mansion instead."

The knight's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Hatter Mansion. "If that's where you want to go, I'll take you then." The knight put his sword away and pulled Kaita up to her feet. "My name is Ace, and I am the Knight of Hearts. Now, let's go to the mansion." Ace gave Kaita a cynical grin and pulled her along with him. Kaita was still unsure of trusting Ace since she just met him.

Elliot ran through the forest searching for Kaita, thoughts ran across his mind. "I hope she hasn't ran into Joker…. Kaita where are you?" Elliot shouted hoping that Kaita could hear him.

A little ways away, Kaita turned in the direction that she had heard a noise from. "Elliot?" Ace stopped and looked back at Kaita then in the direction she was looking at. "Why don't we head that way?" Again Ace dragged Kaita along by the hand. Kaita tried to release her hand from the grasp. "You don't have to hold my arm like that so let go." Kaita struggled to free herself that she started to shout.

Elliot heard the shouts and ran in their direction. Ace grinned and tossed Kaita to the side making her fall to the ground. Ace drew his sword the moment Elliot charged out of the bushes. "Elliot!" Kaita called out to Elliot in surprise. Elliot saw Kaita then looked over at Ace just in time as Ace brought his sword down at Elliot's neck. Elliot deflected the blow with his gun and pushed Ace and got ready to aim at him.

"Kaita are you alright?" Kaita nodded her head, "Yes I am. Ace was helping me to get back to the mansion." Elliot furrowed his brow, "And why would the Knight of Hearts being daring enough to come to the Hatter Mansion?" As a response Ace charged at Elliot with his cynical grin. Elliot shot at Ace, making Ace stop to deflect the bullets.

Kaita looked away so she would not see Elliot and Ace's fight. She held her breath hoping it would be over soon, the sound of something being knocked away and the grunt of one of them made her open her eyes.

Once she opened her eyes she saw Elliot kneeling on the ground holding his arm. "Elliot!" Kaita got up and ran to Elliot's side. "Idiot… Stay back." Elliot tried to push Kaita away in case Ace tried to attack while she was there but Kaita clung to Elliot with all her might. Ace could help but let out a small laugh, "Haha you got some spirit. I guess I'll leave at there for now since little Kaita looks like she would start crying but I will be back for you one day Elliot March." With that Ace left.

Kaita helped Elliot to his feet and retrieved his gun. "Let's head back." Elliot nodded and took the lead back to the mansion.

On the way back to the mansion neither Elliot spoke a word to each other. But once back in the mansion Kaita dragged Elliot to her room before he could wander somewhere else in the mansion and she dressed his wound. She felt her eyes were growing hot so she blinked a couple of times to stop herself from crying.

Elliot saw this and turned away. "I'm fine. So don't cry over something like this." Kaita stared at Elliot, his words stung her. She bit her bottom lip then hit Elliot over the head. "You are an idiot! I was worried about you. You are my important friend right now and I don't know what I would do if I lost you right now." Kaita shouted at Elliot, which caught him off guard as he rubbed his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Kaita looked down then gave Elliot a gentle hug. "Don't ever say that again, I will worry about you whenever I want." Elliot smiled at Kaita and patted her head to reassure her.


	5. The Heart

Kaita's POV:

After sometime time changes Elliot was all healed up. Kaita kept close to Elliot, the twins saw this and could not help but tease the two. "Awww, Miss Kaita why do you always hang around that stupid rabbit?" Kaita could not really answer the twins since she herself did not know why. Then Dee took Kaita's arm and pulled her towards them, "Why don't you come and play with us and leave him alone," then Dum chimed in, "Yeah, we'll probably have more fun than walking around with carrot top all day."

Elliot grew more frustrated with the twins, Kaita looked at Elliot's frustrated look and smiled. Looking back at the twins, "Well today Elliot promised to teach me how bake the delicious sweets he makes." The twins stuck out their tongues with a "bleh" and ran off.

Elliot was surprised and happy at the same time. He did not expect that Kaita would complement his sweets. Kaita then took ahold of Elliot's arm and drag half walked with him to the kitchen. Seeing at how close Kaita was to him Elliot's face went a little red. Once in the kitchen Elliot took off his coat and put on a white apron, Kaita stared at Elliot. Elliot noticed Kaita staring at him, "What's wrong? Do I have something on me?"

Kaita shock her head. "No, it's just that I never would have expected you to put on an apron." Elliot smiled, "Well it's better to cook in one than to get my clothes dirty." "I see your point." Kaita then rolled up her sleeves and tied her hair up into a bun. Elliot looked at Kaita but then walked over to her and draped a cloth over her. "If we're both going to cook you're going to have to wear an apron too." Kaita blushed as she felt Elliot fixing the apron over her. She then moved away as she felt Elliot take a hold of the straps to tie the apron. "I can tie it myself."

Elliot backed away and let Kaita tie the apron. He then went and got some tools and bowls out of the cupboards and placed them on the counter. Kaita then joined Elliot by the ingredients cupboard. "So what ingredients do we need to make this sweet?" Elliot quietly took the necessary ingredients. Kaita was a bit lost at what to do since Elliot was not saying much. Elliot then turned to her, "I think we have everything." Kaita eyed the ingredients on the counter and saw that one was missing if they were going to make sweets. "You forgot the sugar. Don't worry I'll get it."

Kaita went back to the cupboard and looked for the sugar. She saw it on a high shelf and tried to reach for it. The tips of her fingers could touch it but she could not grasp it. Elliot then walked up behind her and reached over her head to grab the sugar. Kaita felt her heartbeat quicken, she looked up to see Elliot loom over her. She instantly went red in the face. Elliot pulled away with the sugar in hand. "Come on let's get started."

After Kaita calmed her racing heart, she and Elliot started to make the sweets. She tried to follow what Elliot was doing, but she kept finding herself mess up every time. Elliot saw this, and he walked over beside her. "You're stirring too softly. Here do it like this." Kaita tried again to mimic Elliot but did not succeed. Elliot sighed then went behind Kaita and grabbed her hands. "You should do it more like this. That way the dough won't be too clumped." Elliot moved Kaita's hands but Kaita was not really focused anymore on the mixing. She was more focused on how Elliot was behind her and was somewhat embracing her. Kaita pulled away her hands subconsciously but Elliot held them firm in place. "That was close. The bowl almost fell." Kaita felt Elliots voice reverberate on her back. Elliot looked down and saw the Kaita's neck was growing a bright pink; he smiled a little and held on more. But that moment was cut short when a faceless maid walked in, Elliot was back at his bowl mixing and Kaita was left there stunned for a bit. The maid smiled seeing that the two were making sweets, and then she left to go do other chores. Finally, the mixing and the stirring were complete. Now all that was needed to do was bake. Elliot placed both batches in the oven and then looked back at Kaita who had sat down on a nearby chair. Elliot walked over to her but found that she was breathing lightly. He figured she must have been tired from doing something she was not used to. Elliot smiled and reached out for Kaita's face to move away a few strands of hair.

"You did well. Rest for now, I will wake you up when the sweets are done baking." Elliot leaned down and placed a light kiss on Kaita's forehead. Kaita's head shifted a little, surprising Elliot. He thought he had wakened her up, but Kaita kept on sleeping. Elliot watched the clock and the oven. A sweet smell began to engulf the kitchen. This made Kaita stir just a bit. "Are they done?" Elliot looked at Kaita and smiled. "Yup, now let's have some tea with these."

The two of them took the sweets out into the front garden where they found Blood and the twins waiting. "Miss Kaita you really did make sweets. I want some." Before the twins could grab the sweets Kaita made, Elliot popped one into his mouth and enjoyed it. "That's not fair Elliot. We wanted to try them first." Dee looked disappointed at Elliot who set the sweets on the table for everyone to have.

Kaita sat down in her usual place next to Elliot. Idle chatter was heard as everyone enjoyed their tea with the sweets Elliot and Kaita made. When everything was finished Kaita went to help clean up but was stopped by a maid. "Oh miss, it's alright we will clean up since you're the one who helped make the treats." Kaita simply smiled and nodded. Kaita looked at Blood who was still sitting. "Aren't you going to go inside?" Blood simply ignored her, Elliot ushered Kaita to follow him and leave Blood be.

Elliot walked Kaita to her room. "If you need anything don't hesitate to ask okay." "Okay. Thanks Elliot." Kaita disappeared into her room. She leaned against the wall and thought to herself. Then she decided to go and take a bath. A maid had showed her once before where it was, so she quietly mad her way there. Kaita slipped into the huge tub and relaxed as she took her bath. The whole room was clouded with steam. Kaita did not notice that someone had opened the door to the bath until she heard someone slip into the tub.

"Who's there?" Kaita yelled. Then as the person got closer, Kaita could see the tips of Elliot's ears. "Elliot!" Elliot stopped when he recognized it was Kaita who was calling out. "Sorry… I thought no one was here." Elliot turned his back to Kaita. Even Kaita turned her back to Elliot trying to hide her blushing face. "Well I'm done so the bath is all yours." Kaita went to get out of the tub and put a towel around her, but Elliot had also gotten out thinking that it would be best to leave Kaita alone to take a bath. "No it's alright you can stay in the bath longer. I will come back when you're done."

Kaita still thinking Elliot was still in the bath half ran out of the bathroom but somehow slipped on the floor. Elliot saw Kaita falling to the ground that instinctively he went to catch her. Kaita's eyes were closed waiting to hit the ground but she did not. She slowly opened them to see Elliot's bare chest in front of her. Kaita let out a shriek but Elliot covered her mouth. Kaita stopped screaming and quickly got up and left back to her room. Elliot was left on the floor staring at his hand. "She's….soft." Elliot then blushed but his clock heart thumped against his chest causing a minor pain before subsiding.

Kaita, back in her room, looked out the window and saw that a storm was coming. She closed the curtains as rolls of thunder shook the mansion. She then got in bed and tried to fall asleep but the thunder and the pounding of the rain would not let her. She sat up and inn that moment a flash of lightning struck out. Kaita instantly jumped out of bed and ran towards the door.

Elliot tried to think of something else as he made his rounds in the mansion before heading back to his room. He then heard the footsteps of someone running in his direction. A flash of lightning lit up the hall and Elliot could see Kaita running scared with tears in her eyes. Elliot held out his arms as Kaita got closer and embraced her when she ran into him. Kaita looked up at Elliot then buried her face into his chest. Not knowing what was making her scared Elliot took Kaita to his room to calm her down.

"It's okay. Tell me what's wrong." Elliot stroked Kaita's hair as he talked gently to her. She looked at Elliot as she sat down on the bed, but she jumped to her feet when the sound of lightning rolled. Elliot now knew what was wrong. "Kaita…" Kaita turned towards Elliot but was met with his chest once again. Elliot held Kaita closely to him in order to talk her mind off the storm. Kaita's thoughts had drawn away from the storm but now she was focused on how close she and Elliot were. Kaita could hear the ticking of Elliot's heart but something was off, she thought she could also hear it beating like her heart. Kaita looked at Elliot's face but it was screwed up in pain. "Elliot, is something wrong?"

"No. I'm… fine." Elliot's hold on Kaita loosened. Kaita repositioned herself in Elliot's lap and put her forehead against Elliot's. "Well it doesn't seem that you have a fever." Elliot's face flushed. Kaita pulled back but Elliot suddenly got up and pushed Kaita underneath him on the bed. Kaita was surprised but at the same time her face had grown a dark red. "Elliot…" Elliot was not sure about what he was doing but he thought it would be best to confirm what he was feeling. Elliot's lips found Kaita's and the two shared a passionate kiss. Kaita was stunned but did not move. Elliot was glad that she did not run off as Atrix did when Blood had kissed her. Elliot then caressed Kaita's face with a smile. His clock heart then thumped wildly in his chest. Elliot clutched his shirt and he felt the pain from his heart. Kaita looked at him worried and tried to get Elliot to lie down. However, Elliot could not hear Kaita or the storm that ensued outside. All he could hear was the ticking and the thumping of his clock heart. Elliot fell forward onto Kaita unconsciously and lay there motionless. Kaita tried to wake Elliot to find out what was wrong but to no avail did Elliot stir.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Atrix's POV:

The White Joker gently set Atrix down onto his bed once when they returned to the circus. He felt more at ease now that she was close to him. He gently brushed hair away from her face as he searched for any injuries that could have occurred when she was trapped inside his brother's prison. He could feel a shiver pass through her when his fingers glided across her skin.

White moved his face closer to her's to examine her more clearly. He smiled when he saw a blush forming on her cheeks.

Atrix was aware he was doing this on purpose, even if his intentions were pure to begin with. She could not help it if she blushed when his face was so close to her's. She peered into Joker's crimson eyes with her blue-green ones.

Joker pulled Atrix into a tight embrace as he murmured, "I'm happy to know you are safe now; however, I don't want you leaving my side too often."

For her response, Atrix nodded and hugged Joker back. She was not tempted in leaving the ringleader's side. She was sure Kaita would be okay; she had Elliot, after all.

White smiled as he came up with an idea. "I'm going to teach you some circus tricks. That way I can keep my eye on you," he declared, leaving no room for objections.

An hour later, Joker had Atrix dressed in some loose clothing. He wanted her movements to be smooth and not strained. He smiled as she tested the material out. "Let's start you off with balance," Joker said as he brought out a giant ball.

Atrix gave the ball a doubtful look. Could she really be able to balance on that? It was a question, which she did not want to find out the answer for, but she will soon enough.

Joker must have seen her expression because she heard a chuckle coming from his direction. "Don't worry. I'll catch you," he said gently. He had placed the ball near a platform to allow her to get on top of it easily.

It took a lot of patient persuading to get Atrix onto the ball. It turns out she did not have the balance for it to begin with. She had toppled over the moment Joker had reached the ground. He had kept his promise and had caught her. "At least you waited until I reached the ground," he teased. Atrix glanced away with an embarrassed blush.

This time when she got onto the top of the ball, Joker got on with her. It was a tight squeeze as it was supposed to only allow one person to stand on top. Due to due to the small space, Atrix's back was pressing against White's chest. While the idea helped with her become used to the balance of the both, it did little good in getting her to have her own balance. When that became obvious, Joker decided to have them both do this act in the performance.

"Now, the next thing I want to teach you is knife throwing," White said as he brought out a set of shiny new knives. "I will show you how to throw them and then you will practice throwing then at me. The point is it not hit your target, but to build suspension in the crowd," he added.

The idea of learning how to throw knives did not both her, but the idea of throwing it at Joker did. "No, I will absolutely NOT throw knives at you! I'd end up hitting you!" Atrix exclaimed in disbelief.

The ringleader chuckled. "Do not worry, you will not hit me," he said softly, his crimson eye looking kind. Atrix reply was a show of worried eyes and a frown.

Joker picked a knife up and demonstrated how to hold it and throw it at the desired target. Seeing, as she did not have a choice to back out, she took the knife that was held out to her and tried to do exactly as Joker had shown. She missed the first time, but managed to strike the side of the target. Joker helped her with the next throw. Again, she was able to achieve the trick, just like with the ball, with his help. It made her wonder if she could actually do anything in the circus without Joker's assistance.

"Now let's try it with me strapped to the target," White said as he went to the target and had one of the circus performers strap him onto the target. Atrix stared at the knives in her hand and debated on whether or not to go through with it. Of course, she did but showed reluctance of it. She stood several yards away from the target as she positioned herself to throw the knife at him. With a deep intake of breath, she threw the knife and shut her eyes, anticipating a shout of pain, but it never came.

Atrix opened her eyes to see that the knife had struck an area close to Joker's head. The man himself was fine and was smiling widely at her. "I say that you'll be fine with the throwing knife performance," he said with a smile, his crimson eye soft. The circus performer from before returned and unstrapped Joker from the target. He walked over to her and said, "Let's stop there for today," he said softly. Atrix nodded, relieved that there will not be any more tricks to learn that night.

Together, they walked to the food area. Just like before when Atrix had first came here, White was carrying both their plates, putting the same amount of food on them. He even carried them back to his tent as well, placing it down at the small table. He pulled foldable chair out for Atrix to sit in before sitting down across from her. She took a bite of some meat as Joker poured himself some water. He poured her a glass soon after.

Their mealtime was spent in a greater deal of silence rather than chitchat. They mostly basked in each other's company instead. Joker returned the plates to the food area, returning to the tent with a bundle of clothes in his arms. He handed them to her. She tilted her head at the clothes. "They are something you can wear to sleep in, since you don't have any night clothing, right?" Joker asked with a pleasant smile. Atrix nodded her reply and looked around the tent to see if there was a place for her to change. There was not.

Knowing what she was searching for, he told her to change inside the tent and he will wait outside until she finished. Agreeing to the idea, Joker went outside while she used the time to change her clothes. What she wanted was a bath, but she was not so sure of where one was, and she was too afraid to ask anyone.

Once when she was done, she called for Joker to come back inside. He did and smiled as he noticed the clothes did fit her. He then apologized to her about how he only had one cot to use. He told her she could use it, and he will sleep on the ground. Atrix shook her head at that. "You should sleep in your own bed!" She stated. Joker shook his head this time. "No, I cannot allow you to sleep where a man would be better off," he said sternly.

The argument continued for a good amount of time before Joker made a compromise with her. They ended up settling over sharing the cot. However, that idea had lead them to have very close contact since the cot was supposed to hold only one person. In which case, they laid there, facing each other. Atrix closed her eyes and tried her best to fall asleep. It took a while, but she did manage to at some point. Joker, however, was still lying there wide-awake. He stared at Atrix's sleeping face with his crimson eye. His eye widen slightly as he felt his clock heart tremble and leave a dull pain behind. It happened again a few moments later. When it did not happen again, he dismissed it out of his mind and focused on going to sleep.

The next morning, Atrix woke up to find an empty space beside her. She sat up and found Joker placing a plate of eggs and bacon down onto the table. "Good, you're awake," he said, beckoning her to come sit at the table. She got off the cot and walked over to the table and sat down on the same seat she sat in yesterday. Joker handed her a fork so that she could eat the eggs. She happily thanked him before she devoured it all, the bacon included.

After breakfast, Joker handed Atrix another bundle of clothes and told her to change into that as he waited outside again. She obeyed and started to change.

While White was waiting for Atrix to finish changing, the mask that rests on his hip spoke up suddenly. "Hey, Joker!" It said. With a troublesome sigh, White asked, "What do you need, Joker?" There was not reply for a while. "I just wanted to tell you what I have in store for the girl when I get my hands in her again. I will punish her for being naughty and escaping my prison. I will burn my mark onto her skin. Maybe I will force her to become my lover," Black Joker chuckled darkly through the mask.

Usually he would agree with his brother on things, but this time, he shot the mask a warning glare, which his brother must have felt. "What's wrong? Do you agree?" The White Joker told Black to halt what it was he was planning. He then said, "Don't harm Atrix." Black's reply came back asking, "Why should I? It'll be a lot more fun seeing her chained up."

White gave another warning before he cut the connection with Black temporarily. He then stepped inside the tent, well aware of the fact that Atrix was not done changing. He approached her as she stood there with her mouth agape, standing there with her shirt halfway down. He did not stop though. He had a feeling in his chest, a feeling he was not sure of, but was sure he wanted to express it. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. The feeling washed over him like waves in the ocean, and the next thing he knew, he was pressing his lips against Atrix's.

Atrix's eyes widened when Joker kissed her completely on the lips. She wasn't sure how to respond to the suddenness of it, but she soon found her hands on his chest. She did not push him away though, she did not want to. Instead, she responded back to the kiss.

It was not until after Joker broke away from the kiss when he felt the tremor in his clock heart again. This time, however, it was a lot stronger. The dull pain that came with it the first time felt worse this time. Joker clutched the left side of his chest, a loud gasp coming from him as he felt the pain strongly. Within the next moment, he heard Atrix call his name before he collapsed against her. Darkness overtook his vision a few seconds later.

The Change has begun.


	6. Heart's Pain

Atrix's POV:

Atrix was startled as she saw Joker collapsed against her with a pained expression in his face. "Joker?" She called his name as she shook him gently. He was knocked out cold.

With effort, she managed to get Joker onto his bed. She wasn't too sure on what she should do, but she did made sure he was breathing all right, which he was. Despite the situation, Atrix was blushing. Joker had kissed her, so of course it would have an effect on her. Her blush disappeared when she thought about what could have caused Joker to have such pain.

Atrix shook her head and stroked Joker's cheek, finding it smooth. She was aware that she could only wait until he became conscious, but she was worried about what caused it. It nagged at her mind. She wanted to know.

As she was deep in thought, one of the circus performer came in to see what was taking so long for the ringleader to show up. Atrix told him that Joker wasn't feeling well enough to take part in today's practice. The performer gave her an odd look, a little suspicious of what she said, but he left without pressing the matter.

Atrix let out a soft sigh and returned to Joker's side. The longer he remained in that state, the more worried she grew. "Joker...," Atrix said in a strained whisper, "hurry and open your eyes..."

Atrix attended to him the entire day, looking for the slightest sign that he was awake. That didn't happen until late into that night.

Atrix was still awake when she heard a sharp intake of breath coming from where Joker lay. Within a moment, she was next to Joker's bed, leaning over him to examine him.

To her relief, she was staring into the Crimson eye of the man. "Atrix...?" Joker called out weakly. As a response, she grabbed ahold of his hand and told him she was here. He had a groggy look in his eyes, but that was to be expected after a day of being unconscious. She took a glass of water that was sitting on a small table and tilted the glass to Joker's lips. He greedily gulped the water down.

"Joker, what happened?" Atrix asked as she looked at him with deeply concerned eyes. Joker didn't answer right away, but he did say that his heart clock felt odd. "What do you mean by 'odd'?" Atrix asked.

Joker explained that his clock heart had started hurting and moving around in his chest. The explanation caused Atrix to become even more worried. "It doesn't hurt anymore, so I don't think it's anything to worry about," he said, smiling softly. Deep down, he was worried, but he kept that to himself. "Besides, we have a performance to do tomorrow morning. It cannot be put on hold as it doesn't work that way in this world," he added with a soft smile and a touch to Atrix's cheek.

"You-," Atrix started before Joker pressed a finger to her lips. "I will continue the show, there is no other option," he said with a tone that indicated he would not budge from his decision. Seeing that, Atrix sighed heavily and gave up on her plan to stop him. However, she managed to get him to rest for the remainder of the night.

When the next morning came, Atrix watched Joker as he prepared himself for the day's performance. It was hard for her to leave his side to change into her own costume, but she was sure to return to his side as soon as she was ready. Joker led her to the main tent to help him get the rest of the equipment set up. He was fully aware of her unease about his condition, it was why he was busying her to get her mind off it; however, it didn't appear as though his idea was working.

"Atrix, can you please go get me a glass of water?" Joker asked her with a gentle smile. With a reluctant look, Atrix managed to leave his side once more to get what he requested.

As Atrix walked out of the tent, she spotted Kaita walking towards her. Her eyes widened for a brief moment before she quickly entered backed into the circus tent, going straight back to Joker to tell him that she had spotted Kaita and Elliot coming this way. Luckily for her, her friend didn't seem to have seen her.

Joker lifted his chin and peered out from a back curtain just as Kaita's small group entered the tent. He looked over at Atrix and told her not to worry about it. "You need to focus on the task on hand," he said, smiling gently. Atrix nodded in understanding.

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Kaita's POV:

After some time, Elliot woke up gasping. He looked around his room and felt some weight on the blankets. Kaita had fallen asleep on the edge of Elliot's bed. Elliot caressed Kaita's hair before shaking her shoulder lightly. "Hey, Kaita, you're going to catch a cold if you sleep here like that."

Kaita got up slowly and rubber her eyes. When her eyes focused, she stood up in surprise at Elliot being awake. Tears stung her eyes; Elliot gently wiped the tears away. "Elliot…. I was really worried." Elliot looked down. "I bet you were. Even I don't know what happened to me. All I remember is my chest being in pain and then hearing your cry my name." Kaita somewhat tackled Elliot with a hug and she buried her face in his chest. Elliot was shocked but looked at Kaita with a gentle look.

Blood had heard the commotion and walked into Elliot's room. Kaita and Elliot quickly separated themselves. "It seems you are alright Elliot." With that, Blood walked right back out of the room. Elliot and Kaita both shared a blushed look and when they faced each other, they both laughed. Kaita then brought a glass of water to Elliot. "Do you want some water?" Elliot grabbed at his throat, "It's like you read my mind. I am thirsty." Elliot drank down the glass of water.

Kaita then got up to leave. Elliot grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving. Kaita looked back, "Is something wrong?" Elliot looked away blushing. "Well it's just that …. April season is when the circus has a bunch of performances so I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the circus." Kaita smiled happily, "Yes, I'll go with you." Elliot then rubbed the back of his head, "Well we won't really be the only ones going. Blood and the twins will be going with us."

"That's alright." Kaita smiled then left Elliot to rest. She went back to her room and collapsed to the ground happy that Elliot was awake. She then fell asleep with a smile. The next day Kaita met Elliot, Blood and the twins by the front entrance. "Since we're all here let's get going." Blood lead the way to the circus and the twins took up the rear leaving Elliot and Kaita to walk next to each other in the center. The twins got excited as they saw the top of circus tent.

Kaita smiled but looked worried. She hadn't seen Atrix for a while since she left the Hatter Mansion. Elliot showed Kaita where they were going to sit inside and said that since the performance wasn't going to start for some time. Kaita then looked through the crowd wondering if she could find Atrix amongst the people. She sighed then started to head to the closest entrance to the tent to find Elliot and the others.

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Combined POV:

A half hour later, the circus begun. It started with confetti being shot up into the air and out into the crowd. A moment later, Joker stood at the center of the tent. The ringleader smiled widely as he spoke, "Welcome to the final circus event of this April season! We hope you enjoy yourselves with this extra special performance!" With that, Joker bowed and waved his arm to signal for the first act to begin.

The first act was small silly tricks. The second act was with the children acrobats. That one last for a good fifteen minutes.

Once when the second act was completed, Joker appeared in the center once again. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce a very special guest who will be participating in this next act!" He said with an enormous smile on his face.

Atrix knew it was finally her and Joker's turn to partake in a performance; however, she caught the look in Joker's eyes despite the smile on his face. What she wasn't aware of was the same look that Kaita saw in Elliot's eyes when she looked at him in order to say something. A look of being in pain.

They all knew the pain would become worse, but Elliot and Joker refused to stop what they were doing.

Atrix had desperately tried to get Joker to step down from the act, but he had only smiled gently and told her he was fine. Therefore, they continued as planned and got ready to do the performance. It was the balancing on the ball that they had done together from her first training session. As Joker was about to step onto the ball to help Atrix get on, he gasped and collapsed.

Kaita had been continuously trying to get Elliot to go home and rest when the same thing happened to him. Elliot had also collapsed. That caused Kaita to bend over him and call his name.

Atrix heard Kaita's voice and looked up to see her friend in the same situation. 'Elliot's been having the same problems?' She thought to herself. As soon as she finished her thought, the Black Joker appeared. "Take Joker to the back before I kick you," Black threatened.

Before she did, she struggled to get Kaita's attention. At some point, Kaita did look up and saw her pointing to the room hidden away in the back of the tent. She nodded to show she understood the message. They both managed to drag them into the room, where they laid them down side by side.

"Was Elliot having chest pains too?" Atrix asked with concern. Kaita nodded and said, "So I take it that White is having the same pains?" Atrix nodded. "But why?" Kaita asked with deep concern.

'Perhaps I can answer that question,' a male voice said within our thoughts. Seeing each other's confusion told each other that they had both heard the voice. It wasn't a moment later when they suddenly fainted.

When Atrix and Kaita opened their eyes, they saw Joker and Elliot. As well as noticing how the surrounding area was grayish and seemed to go on forever.

"Atrix! Kaita!" Elliot called out to them, beckoning them to come over where they were. With an uncertain glance in each other's direction, they made their way to them. As soon as they were close enough, they were each wrapped up in their guy's arms.

After they confirmed it was really each other, a man floating in the air made his appearance. "Nightmare!" Elliot shouted out and pointed his gun at him.

Nightmare smiled at the four of them. "Put the gun away, it won't hurt me in the dream world. Besides, don't you wish to know what it is that is happening to you?" He said. With his ears bent back, Elliot reluctantly withdrew his gun.

Joker stepped forward. "Why are we feeling pain in our chests?" He asked. Atrix and Kaita were both waiting for the answer with wide eyes.

"The reason behind the pain is because both of your hearts are changing," Nightmare explained.

"Changing? How and in what way?" Joker asked, narrowing his eye in confusion.

"Well, it's changing from experiencing a deep love for an outsider," Nightmare said, nodding in the direction of where Atrix and Kaita stood, "and as for the second part of your question... It's a little harder to explain. Due to the amount of love you are feeling, your clock hearts decided that a real heart, a heart that outsiders have, is needed. From what I know, the change does cause pain, especially when it's nearing the end of it. In which case, you should thank me; I'm saving you from experiencing that huge amount of pain right now by bringing you here into the dream realm." Nightmare sniffed and crossed his arms.

"Real hearts? That can happen to role-holders?" Elliot asked with an amazed expression.

"Obviously. It's happening to you both right now," Nightmare answered. "It's actually almost done right now. Now, when you wake up, your hearts will no longer be clock hearts. Which means, you will be forced to leave Wonderland. It will also mark the end game for Atrix and Kaita. They will be allowed to leave as well," Nightmare added.

They each became silent as they let the information sink in. It was Nightmare who broke the silence. "Ah, it appears that the transformation is complete," he said as he smiled. "It is now time for you all to wake up and return to where you belong. With real hearts, you are now free to leave," he murmured as he started to fade.

They woke up a few minutes later. When Atrix and Kaita had fainted, they must have landed in their lover's chest. Kaita blushed and pulled away immediately. Atrix, however, kept her head against Joker's chest. He didn't push her off, but watched her. Atrix could no longer hear the ticking of the clock heart inside his chest, but she could hear the steady beating of a normal heart instead. Joker caressed her hair as she kept her head on his chest. Elliot pulled Kaita to him for a chance for her to hear the beating heart in his chest. Instead of a steady heartbeat, she heard a faster one. She smiled, as she knew the nervous heartbeat she herself felt. She hugged him and closed her eyes.

The change was complete.


	7. Epilogue

Atrix's POV:

After the change occurred with Joker and Elliot's hearts, Joker had decided to return to the real world and leave Wonderland. He had chosen a life with Atrix, since he no longer held the role of the Circus Joker. He wasn't exactly sad about it, but he could admit that he would greatly miss Wonderland. It had been decided that a new Joker would be born to fill in his former spot, after all.

Atrix, on the other hand, was more excited about returning to the real world with Joker. She knew she had her work cut out to try to get him to understand the concepts in society, but she knew he would be able to manage.

After saying good-bye to everyone, a portal took them back to the real world. Joker looked around cautiously at the unfamiliar area. Atrix grabbed his hand and lead him to where her home stood.

After Atrix took him inside, she searched her father's room in order to find clothes for Joker to wear. Luckily, she found some clothes and told him to try it on. Fortunately, the clothes did fit. Seeing him in her father's clothes made her smile.

"You're going to need a proper name in this world... Therefore, let's make it where your name is still the same," Atrix said, smiling.

"What do you have in mind?" Joker asked, tilting his head.

"I was thinking on 'Joker White'," Atrix said, "I mean, my name is odd as well, so I don't think anybody would find it too strange of a name to have."

Joker smiled gently and kissed Atrix on the cheek. "Then I am now known as Joker White," he chuckled. The name wasn't at all different from what he was called back at the circus and in wonderland. He felt relieved by it.

Atrix smiled softly and offered him a seat to sit down. She sat down across from him. It was then when they talked about what they would do in the future. They planned on getting married, after Atrix explained what marriage was, and they planned to have children.

They were in no rush; however, they first need to have Joker get used to a place that has little violence.

Atrix and Joker cuddled in bed her bed that night. Her head was on top of Joker's chest, listening to his heart as it caused her to drift off to sleep.

Now that they have a future ahead of them, they will live a wonderful life together.

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Kaita's POV:

Kaita and Elliot said their goodbye's to everyone at the Hatter Mansion and headed to meet up with Atrix and Joker for their return to the other world. Elliot said he would miss wonderland but it wouldn't be the same if Kaita wasn't there by his side. Kaita smiled sweetly to Elliot and hugged him tightly, listening in on his beating heart.

When the four of them had returned to Kaita and Atrix's world Kaita said her goodbye to Atrix and took off with Elliot in the direction of her house. Elliot looked around quizzically at his new surroundings, but one thing the both of them had notice upon their arrival to the other world was that Elliot's rabbit ears had disappeared. Elliot felt a little off balance but he said that he would have to get used to it.

Of course Kaita thought that she would have to find some suitable clothes for Elliot so she went through her cousin's closet to find clothes that would suit Elliot to a T. Elliot gave Kaita a hug and then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I can't believe this is actually happening. I'm so glad that I met you Kaita, I will treasure you for the rest of this new life of mine." All Kaita could do was smile happily as tears came to her eyes. Elliot wiped those tears away and kissed Kaita, the kiss became more passionately and the two become even more enveloped in their feelings for each other.

"Hey Elliot, since your now in this world you're going to be going by Elliot March so you can be distinguished as someone here." Elliot nodded his head and held onto Kaita's hand as she lead the way through her house, showing Elliot where everything was. Nighttime had come and Kaita's apartment didn't have an extra room but Elliot said he would gladly take the couch. Kaita had slipped under the covers of her bed and then thought that Elliot would be uncomfortable on the couch.

"Elliot why don't we share the bed…." Before Kaita could take back her words without blushing Elliot was already by her side. He grinned and kissed Kaita on the forehead. "I thought it would be better for us to start sleeping together side by side from now on." Kaita blushed even more as Elliot pulled her close to his chest. The two cuddle in the bed and began to fall asleep in each other's embrace.

Tell me if I need to change something or add something


End file.
